State v. Hagar

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Defendant of manslaughter after a conditional guilty plea, holding that the State provided sufficient evidence, independent of Defendant's multiple confessions, to establish corpus delicti for the alleged homicide of Defendant's infant son.On appeal, the Court held (1) the trial court made several factual findings, supported by competent evidence in the record, that were sufficient to establish a substantial belief that the infant's death was a result of criminal agency; and (2) there was no reason to depart from the well-established corpus delicti doctrine and to adopt the federal "trustworthiness" standard. View "State v. Hagar" on Justia Law